Leverage
by Marriella Bullet
Summary: Luke is secretly raised on Earth for 18 years. But when an assassin almost kills him, he begins to learn that he is a pawn in a dangerous game and returning to the galaxy he's really from is only the beginning...
1. Chapter 1

**LEVERAGE**

Chapter 1

* * *

 _'It's probably another lie. Nothing he's said in the past 18 years has been true so why would this be?'_

But even as he thought it, he found himself inclined to believe the most incredulous thing he'd heard yet. He had every reason to doubt the man in the driver's seat beside him. Less than three hours earlier, he'd been pointing a gun at his face. But there was no gun to force him into the car - that was all him.

Why was he here? There was a part of him that couldn't help but be curious. And yet there was another part that worried he was going to regret this.

 **11 hours earlier...**

Jason wasn't surprised in the slightest when his dad's expression grew colder (if that were possible). Yep, this was going to be a dead-end conversation.

Cole Thurmond glanced up at the clock on the wall behind the nervous teenager. Jason couldn't remember a time when that clock actually worked. It had been stuck on 9:07 for years.

"I can't decide which part is the most moronic."

 _'Here we go.'_ Jason resigned himself to hear another cutting speech.

"The part about quitting the only thing that might stuff some sense into your head, or that you think you have what it takes to..." he allowed himself a condescending chuckle. Jason's face used to burn when Cole did that but now he just took it in stride.

His dad was back to business; his tone final. "You're not joining the Navy."

Jason resisted the urge to avert his eyes to something - anything - other than the gaze that met him on the other side of the desk. He lifted his chin and leaned forward.

"I don't feel motivated at college. It's been a whole semester and I want to rip my ears out."

"This coming from a kid who's never had his ears ripped out before."

Jason bit his lip. Why did his dad have to do that with every expression he used? Before he could get another word in, Cole continued.

"There's no future in the military for you. Their wars here are smoke screens and you'd be a puppet."

"Just 'cause you don't believe in anything doesn't mean I'm that way too! Why are you so against me doing anything with my life?"

Cole stood. His tall frame and broad shoulders made Jason still look small in front of him.

"I believe in plenty. Like believing you should focus on finishing school and forget about the military."

Jason stood for a few silent seconds before making his way to the door. It was a dead end. He knew it would be.

Jacket halfway on, he stormed out the front door and turned down the sidewalk.

The light rain didn't bother him; Jason's head was fuming. It was always like this. The weird thing was that, for the most part, his dad hardly cared what he did. Jason knew for a fact that he was fully aware of when he'd sneak out back in high school. He was indifferent about the grades he got, the time he got home, or who his friends were. So why did he seem to block him when he actually wanted to do something that mattered?

College was fine but it didn't spark anything in him. For most of his life, there hadn't been anything specific that interested him. But several months ago, he'd gone to a Blue Angels air show with some buddies. He couldn't fully explain it, but something awakened inside of him. Watching the aircrafts weaving through the sky with perfect precision gave his imagination wings. He truly felt that he was capable of piloting like that one day.

Jason was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the car that had started to hydroplane on the slick asphalt and begin to spin into the lane closest to him. Only when the impending vehicle was several feet away did Jason look up. With no time to think, he reacted as anyone would by putting his arms up to block his face.

He waited for the impact but none came.

A few moments later, he peeked between his arms and slowly put them down in disbelief. As his arms went down, so did the car. Had it really just been HOVERING? It came to rest on the ground and its two occupants stared at him with mouths agape.

Jason didn't know what to do. His mind was spinning and it was starting to make him sick. He turned and ran.

* * *

Cole heard the front door open and close again with a bang. Shortly thereafter, the back door opened and closed. What now?

He followed the bumbling noise outside to the back. There in the far left corner of the small yard, he saw the kid sitting on the free standing swing next to the oak tree. He casually strode over until he was standing several feet in front of the swing. The kid glanced up but didn't speak. He seemed more upset than earlier.

"Any reason for the commotion or do you just like making sure the universe knows you're home?"

"Can we just not. Please?"

Yeah this couldn't simply be about earlier. He almost sounded distressed.

"What's the matter with you?"

Jason didn't look up. "I'm fine."

For a second Cole hesitated. Finally deciding to leave it alone, he turned to leave.

"Don't blow a socket."

Jason breathed a bit easier when he saw his dad go back in the house. He wasn't anywhere close to talking about what just happened. He first had to figure out exactly WHAT happened. He tried to align his frantic thoughts.

 _'That car wasn't actually hovering... was it? It was almost like I was controlling it. No no no that's impossible! Okay think. THINK. What did you SEE? The car was coming toward me, I put my hands up... and what?'_

Jason shook his head.

 _'I'm just crazy. I'm going crazy. I imagined it.'_

But... those two women in the car looked at him like they were seeing an alien. What was going on?

* * *

It was past midnight. Cole was in his room adjacent from the study. Jason had gone to bed a little over an hour ago in his room upstairs. Cole was just on the precipice of sleep when he heard it.

A probing beep grew louder and louder. He was out of bed and across the hall in an instant. He tore the clock off the wall - the clock that never worked - and from the back where the battery should go was the source of the noise. He shook the small device out of the clock into his hand. He hadn't touched this in 18 years.

So this is how it would be.

* * *

Something Jason couldn't explain jolted him out of his sleep. He opened his eyes to see a revolver pointed at his head. He looked up to see the last thing he expected.

His dad. With his finger on the trigger.

"Dad..."

The man didn't say anything. His face was cold. And yet... was there a bead of sweat on his forehead?

"What are you doing!?"

The hand holding the gun began to shake ever so slightly. Painful moments passed. Suddenly Cole let out an angered yell and Jason watched the gun crash against the wall to his left. He looked back to see Cole pacing back and forth in quick - almost stressed - strides. All the while muttering a string of profanity under his breath.

In a flurry of anger, fear, and confusion, Jason jumped from the bed and swept the gun up in his hand.

"Were you about to kill me?"

Cole stopped his pacing to assess the situation. The kid wasn't pointing the gun directly at him but in his frantic state, anything was possible. Even in the dark room, he could see the fear in his eyes.

"Dad!"

Finally Cole spoke. "I'm not your father, kid."

Jason gaped in astonishment. He didn't know if he was going to puke or explode. "What do you mean?"

Cole looked up at the ceiling. "Oh boy..." he mumbled to himself. "I'm gonna catch hell for this."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" Then Jason repeated, "Were you about to kill me?"

"Yes," came the simple reply.

Before he knew it, Jason's knees buckled beneath him and he stumbled down to floor. He had no strength or motivation to stand again so he leaned his back against the wall behind him and let the gun drop on the carpet. He buried his head in his hands.

"If you're not my dad then who are you?"

Cole gave a relenting sigh. "At this point, you might as well know." He said this as though he were convincing himself of the fact.

"Well?"

"My name is Kol."

Jason raised his eyebrow slightly. "Is this a joke to you? I know your name is Cole."

"No, smart ass. Kol. K-O-L. I changed the spelling when I came here. And while we're talking about names, your name isn't Jason. It's Luke."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Sorry it took a couple of weeks to update. Trying to be an adult surprisingly takes up quite a bit of time. Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 2

* * *

Nothing was making since. This didn't feel real. His brain felt like a derailed train.

"What are you saying?"

Kol wasn't prepared for this. He was supposed to follow instructions and if killing the kid came down the chain of command, he would without question. That was why he was given this assignment. He couldn't explain why he threw the gun away at the last second. He could still go through with it. Yet even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew he wouldn't.

Kol took a step toward the distressed figure slumped on the floor. Luke's eyes to glanced toward the gun.

"I'm not attacking you," Kol said with palms raised and a sardonic tone.

"Oh but you were going to kill me?" Luke accused.

"Yes, we've covered that."

Pure adrenaline pushed Luke passed any fear he might have had a few moments ago. He leapt from the floor. "Are you going to explain yourself or WHAT? Who are you and where is my real family? Tell me!"

Kol's mind explored his options. He had to be careful about how he approached the rest of this conversation. One thing was clear: they couldn't stay here much longer. It didn't feel safe. He was sure there was another operative close by to ensure the job was done. As soon as it was discovered that Kol hadn't gone through with it, they would both be in danger. But the kid wanted answers and he would probably act irrationally until he got some.

"I don't know who your family is. I know that your real name is Luke and I was hired to bring you here. I also know that we need to leave as soon as possible; we're not safe."

Luke let out an indignant laugh. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Kid, if I was gonna kill you I would have done it by now. I know you're mad and you can stay that way as long as you want but if you want to stay alive, we've got to get out of here now."

"And go where?" Luke asked mockingly.

Kol stooped down and picked up the gun. Luke moved back defensively but Kol turned the handle toward Luke and held it out for him.

"Take it."

With a wary look on his face, Luke accepted the gun.

"Now shoot me."

Luke's eyes widened in surprise.

"Go ahead, if you don't trust me then shoot me. I can see I'm not gonna get anywhere with you and it'll save the other guy the trouble."

"You can't be serious..."

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

Luke's brow furrowed for a moment but he slowly lowered the hand holding the gun. "I'm not shooting you." Kol's face didn't change but his muscles relaxed slightly. Luke continued, "Before we go anywhere, I want to know why you were hired to bring me here."

Kol sighed. "I was hired through a third party. It was all under the table stuff. I'm not paid to know the answer to who and why."

As Luke processed this, Kol glanced out the window to his left. It was more out of growing nervousness than anything else; he knew he wouldn't able to see much in the dark out there. "Anything else you'd like to know or can we table this therapy session for later?"

* * *

They were roughly two hours into the six and a half hour drive from Fernandina to Miami. Luke could tell Kol wasn't being completely forthcoming about what they would do once they got there and his suspicions toward the man were beginning to resurface. What was so special about Miami? Why there of all places?

Kol glanced over and saw the hardened look on Luke's face. "If you wanna say something then say it."

Luke's eyes darted toward the driver's seat then forward again. He didn't want to have another confrontation but he needed to know more. "What's the real reason we're going to Miami? I can tell there's more to it."

"Smart kid. I told you college was good for you."

"Can you quit with that? You're not my dad so don't talk like it anymore." Luke took a breath to calm down. He knew angry outbursts wouldn't impress Kol to treat him seriously. In a more composed tone, "Why Miami?"

"Miami is just a pit stop."

"Then where are we actually going?"

Kol's chin wrinkled as his mind tackled how to answer the question. This would be interesting.

"I suggest you keep an open mind about what I'm saying."

Luke waited.

"There's a lot of things people here write off without giving it a chance. The smart ones are too stupid to see it and the crazy ones come up with the wrong explanations." Kol could tell he wasn't getting through to Luke. He decided to approach it more directly. "Have you heard of the Bermuda Triangle?"

"Everyone has. What does that have to do with anything?"

"What do you think it is?" Kol ventured.

Luke was bewildered. "What do you mean?"

"Ships and planes disappear in it all the time. Why do you think that happens?"

Luke threw up his hands. "Aliens! Who cares? Why are we talking about this?"

Kol could see he'd just have to come right out with it. "It's a portal." He'd never seen Luke look more annoyed than now. "I'm not lyin' to you, kid."

"A portal?" Luke said incredulously. "A portal to what?"

"To the galaxy we're really from. That's where we're going."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I'm having so much fun writing this story. Thank you so much for those of you who are already invested in it. Your reviews are appreciated!**

* * *

 **Leverage**

CHAPTER 3

Luke didn't know whether to be insulted or entertained.

"There's another galaxy? Is that what really happened to Pluto?"

"Your attempt at sarcasm is touching but you might want to take this seriously. It'll be less of a shock for you when we get there."

The possibility of what Kol was saying began to sink into Luke's brain. 'It's probably another lie. Nothing he's said in the past 18 years has been true so why would this be?' But even as he thought it, he found himself inclined to believe the most incredulous thing he'd heard yet. But still...

"How gullible do you think I am?"

"I think you're very gullible. But I also happen to be telling the truth."

Luke sighed and looked out the window to his right. He didn't feel like thinking and he definitely didn't feel like talking. For all he knew Kol was messing with his head again.

Memories of a car hovering in front of him just hours ago came to mind. He'd never seen anything like that before. Maybe there really was truth behind what Kol was saying...

Luke woke up to see the sun peaking over the horizon out his window. He hadn't meant to fall asleep. They were off the interstate now and on a long bridge with ocean on either side. The events of the previous evening came rushing back to mind.

"Where are we?"

"Where I told you we were going. Miami."

Luke rubbed one of his eyes as he sat up straighter. His right arm and leg were cramped thanks to the less than desirable sleeping position he'd been in for the past several hours. Surprisingly, his thoughts felt clearer. Along with that, the ability to believe in the fantastical idea that the Bermuda Triangle was - how did Kol put it? - oh right, a PORTAL seemed far fetched to say the least.

Luke decided to test the waters. "So we're here. What now?"

"If you were listening to anything I was saying last night, you'd know we need to get a boat. After that, the triangle."

He played along. "Right. Yes. So remind me again - if there are bad guys after us, why are we going to their... erm... galaxy?"

Kol was catching on to Luke's skepticism. Still he answered, "Bigger than this one. More places to hide."

They reached the end of the bridge. The ocean was still easily in sight out Luke's window. If anything, he was enjoying the scenery. They passed a beach park and a rowing club on the left. Soon they went over another bridge then almost immediately broke off to the right into a parking lot overlooking a marina.

Luke took in their surroundings but Kol's eyes were glued to the rear-view mirror. He cursed under his breath.

"What?" Luke turned to see what had riled Kol so quickly.

"We've been followed."

Luke saw a dark vehicle pull in and come to a stop on the other side of the parking lot. A knot formed in his stomach. "What do we do?"

Kol handed him the pistol that had caused so much commotion between them less than seven hours ago and pulled out another one from center console for himself. Checking the ammo and switching off the safety, he simultaneously scanned the marina.

"You see that boat at the end of the first dock over there?"

Luke looked where Kol was pointing. "Y...yes. Yes I see it."

"When I start shooting, you run for that. And take this." Kol held up a small key. "Start the engine and stay sharp."

Luke barely had time to think about what was happening when Kol moved to the back seat behind Luke's and stealthily climbed out, crouching low to the ground. Gun ready for action, he peeked around from behind the back of the car - only to pull back just in time to avoid a bullet that grazed the bumper. He looked again, spotted his target and fired back. The figure ducked behind his own vehicle, just barely saving himself from Kol's precise shots.

"What are you waiting for?" Kol yelled at Luke. "Move!"

Luke hesitated for a moment. Then pushing past his fear, he tore open the door and ran for the docks. He didn't have to turn back and look to know that the enemy's shots were now being primarily directed toward him. He ran faster. Several onlookers who were just beginning to realize what was happening began scrambling for cover. One woman screamed, clutching her sun hat with one hand as she tripped down the walkway.

Arriving at the chosen boat, Luke jumped in and tried to steady his hand enough to put the key into the ignition. Finally the key went into the slot but to his dismay, it wouldn't start. He tried to turn the key again. And again. Nothing. He frantically searched for something - anything - he could do to not feel like a sitting duck. In the corner of his eye, he noticed the boat was still tied to the dock. He leapt forward and began working the knot.

Running footsteps approached. Kol jumped in as Luke finished freeing the vessel from its bonds.

"I told you to start the boat!"

"I tried!" Luke defended. "The engine won't turn on!"

Kol grabbed the key that was still in the ignition. "Cover us."

Luke looked back toward the docks and spotted the assailant making his way past frightened boaters who were doing their very best to stay out of his path. Both hands on his gun, Luke fired in his direction. He forgot to take the kickback into account. In spite of being pitifully off mark, the man slowed his approach as he ducked for cover.

The boat's engine roared to life.

The assailant heard it too. With a battle cry, he rushed toward the end of the dock as Kol launched the boat out toward the ocean. "Shoot him!"

Luke shot and missed. He re-adjusted his grip and closed his eyes for a moment as he took a deep breath in. Then breathing out, he pulled the trigger.

The would-be assassin stopped in his tracks. His hand went to his chest as a piercing sound of pain and rage left his lips.

The boat continued to lurch into wide expanse of water before them.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

* * *

An alert flashed on the screen in front of Governor Tarkin, notifying him that his extra agent had been killed on Earth. Surprising that both agents had failed him. One by choice and the other... well, he could only assume the man had been bested. He had in no way underestimated the value of that boy. It was unfortunate that he had to give the order to terminate him but with the inquires into his personal life from the empire right now, he had to tie up any incriminating loose ends. He could find another way.

The problem now was the boy and that rogue agent were on the run and he couldn't have that. Yes, something had to be done to silence both of them before anything led back to him.  
...

The wind had starting blowing harder, tossing the small boat. Dark clouds covered the sun.

"This seems like a really bad idea," Luke commented.

Kol was busy trying to keep the boat going eastward, which just so happened to be straight into the oncoming storm. A wave splashed over the deck. The ocean continued to swirl around them.

"Seriously though," said a worried Luke. "We can't drive into a storm like that in a boat like THIS."

"If it was easy getting to the triangle, there would be any reason to get there in the first place, would there?"

Luke could tell there was no stopping Kol. With nothing else to do, he held onto the railing for support as the waves continued to splash over the deck.

It was only midday but it might as well be night. The sun was completely covered by layers of thick clouds. The wind was picking up even more and the ocean was beginning to fall into a swirling pattern.

Kol guided the boat into the spin and then let go of the wheel.

Luke panicked. "What are you doing!?"

In spite of yelling, Kol could barely hear Luke above the wind and the waves. "We're right where we wanna be, kid!" Kol held onto the boat as it began spinning and spinning in a downward spiral into the ocean. "Whooooo!"

The first thing Luke did when he could move was throw up. He was soaking wet, his head was pounding, and his stomach felt like it had been put in a blender. Somewhere in the darkness he could hear Kol coughing. Apparently the ride hadn't been pleasant for him either.

It was very dark but some light was peeking through the ceiling above them. It was dusty and the only furniture in the room was an old knocked over shelf. From the appearance of things, it looked like nobody had been here in years.

Luke wasn't exactly sure how long it took him to finally stand up. His head was still woozy and he had to put his hand on the wall to steady himself. Kol was now on his feet too.

"This way," said Kol, leading the way to some stone stairs in the corner.

They walked up the stairs and had no trouble opening the door at the top. At this point, Luke could tell that this building was abandoned and probably had been for a very long time. It looked like it might have been a library at one point but not like any library on Earth. There were no books for one thing, but there were a lot of small electronic-looking things that resembled books.

"Where are we?"

"This planet is Kalios," Kol replied absentmindedly as they walked out into the sunlight. "Last time I was here, this place was still inhabited."

Outside they saw the remains of many clay buildings that once made up a town but they were mostly rubble now. They turned left down what used to be a main road and followed it to an old ship hangar. There weren't any walls left, leaving the hangar exposed as well as three ships that were still there.

Luke had never seen anything like it before. Well, not in real life. He'd seen movies and that's what this whole thing looked like - the beginning of one of those science fiction movies.

"That one looks like our best bet." Kol was pointing to the smallest ship. It was diamond-shaped with a sublight engine on each side.

"Are we actually going to... fly in that thing?" Luke was dubious but also thrilled at the idea.

"If she still runs."

Tarkin openly scowled knowing that the man he was speaking to via hologram could tell he was displeased.

"It was your men who failed," he scolded. "When I paid you, I expected a return on my investment."

"Sir," said the disinterested man on the other end. "We are not liable if one of our agents goes rogue."

"You might want to make an exception for this. There will be consequences for your entire organization if you don't."

"I disagree. From how I see it, you're operating outside of your precious empire. I'd be happy to let the emperor know about your little dealings with us."

Tarkin was an expert at remaining composed but on the inside he was boiling. The man had seen through his bluff and now it would cost him.

"I'll pay you double the original price."

Finally some interest showed on the elusive man's face. "Double, huh? Alright. When the payment is secured, our people will get to work."

"Remember: I want them both dead and I want this done quietly."

"Done."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry for a short chapter. I promise there's a lot of good stuff coming! Review and let** **me know what you think so far.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: The struggle is real with writer's block sometimes! I kept feeling bad that I hadn't updated this story in a few months but I didn't want to just update for the sake of it and not give you any good content. This story deserves better than that and so do YOU! So I finally got my life together and felt super inspired writing this chapter. That being said, enjoy and please review!**

* * *

CHAPTER 5

The rickety ship somehow managed to successfully make the jump into hyperspace. Luke watched with wild fascination.

"NASA would go crazy if they could get their hands on this!" he marveled.

Kol tried to control the grin that crept onto his face. After so many years on earth, he'd missed the technology that this older, more advanced galaxy had to offer. Even still, it was amusing that this outdated ship fascinated Luke.

As they settled into hyperspace mode, Luke eased back into the copilot's seat.

"So this is what I've been missing, huh?"

"You could say that," Kol said absentmindedly, admiring the stars stream by. "This ain't nothing, kid. There's more possible here than there ever was on earth."

Luke nodded, thinking again about his experience with the hovering car. Maybe that wasn't such an unusual thing in this galaxy. He cleared his throat.

"Um, so when you say there's more possible here, what kind of things do you mean?"

"Well," Kol mused. "For one thing, pretty much everything here is more advanced. Travel, communication, weapons, you name it."

"More advanced? How?"

Kol realized that Luke was digging for something. "Why? Anything particular you're wanting to do?"

Luke shrugged. "Just curious."

Kol eyed Luke for a moment before deciding to let it go. The kid's mind always seemed to be going a million miles an hour and he'd made a habit of staying out of it. Up until now, what the kid thought didn't... shouldn't matter to him. It still shouldn't but somehow the rules were different now.

What was he doing? As far back as he could remember, his life was Project Eximious. Trained and groomed as an elite agent with no attachments and one goal: finish the job, at all costs. He'd been very successful and seen much of the galaxy but this was new territory. For the first time in his life, there wasn't a job assigned to him to complete. He'd botched that job and for what? To save a kid's life? With that one choice, he knew his relationship with Project Eximious was finished. Failure to comply meant death. They'd be after him for sure. He needed to find a way to get some leverage.

Luke interrupted his thoughts.

"What are we gonna do now that we're here?"

Good question, kid.

"I've got a contact on Coruscant." Kol instantly realized that meant nothing to Luke. "It's the capital of the galaxy. Risky stuff, but the guy is one of the only people I trust."

It was an uneventful trip. Several hours later, they were coming out of lightspeed and the bright capital planet glowed before them. Kol brought the ship into the rim of the atmosphere but pulled up at the sight of an electric barrier preventing them from going any further.

"What's this?"

Several patrol ships were stationed at the apparent checkpoint. Soon they heard a voice over the intercom.

"State your name and business."

In spite of his surprise, Kol's instincts didn't fail him.

"Medof Delphin, mineral engineering."

There was a pause as they most likely were checking to see if there was a Medof Delphin in the system. Kol silently hoped his alias was still intact.

The voice returned.

"We're reading two life forms on your ship."

"My son is accompanying me," Kol stated calmly.

Another pause.

"There's no record of your son in the system."

Kol worriedly glanced at Luke.

"Don't look at me," Luke hissed quietly. "You get us out of this, DAD."

"His, uh, mother was a real piece of work. Didn't tell me about him for years." Kol let out a fake chuckle, hoping it sounded real enough. "You know how it is."

"Not the first time this has happened, sir. Make sure you register your son before you leave the planet."

Both let out a sigh of relief.

"Will do!"

The electric barrier faded and their ship passed through without incident. Kol guided the ship past the murky clouds and over the top of the city in search of a landing pad.

"Medof Delphin, huh?" Luke quipped. "You came up with that awfully fast."

"It's an alias I've used before."

"Why did you use an alias? Couldn't you have just used your real name?"

"I don't know if you've caught onto this yet, but my real name wouldn't do us any favors. Plus we don't know if you're even in their system at all. It works out better for us this way. I just don't remember having to get through that much security before."

A thought rose in Luke's mind.

"What's my real last name?"

"Dunno," Kol responded flatly.

Luke looked fixedly at him. "You're lying."

"Excuse me?"

He couldn't explain it, but somehow Luke knew beyond any doubt that Kol was lying. It was like he could read it in the man's voice.

"You know my last name. Tell me."

Kol sighed. It wasn't like keeping his name a secret was important, he just didn't like the kid having too much information until he could figure out exactly what he was going to do. Luke was obviously a valuable piece to some puzzle. But how much harm would it do for him to know his real name?

"I guess you're more observant than I thought." Kol relented. "It's Skywalker I think."

"Skywalker," Luke tried it out. "I like it."

"Yippie for you. Probably should keep it to yourself though. Somebody paid somebody who paid me to keep you hidden and then kill you for whatever reason. You better believe they know your real name."

Luke nodded. "Makes sense. So my name is Luke Delphin?"

"Yup. And as far as anyone's concerned, you're learning mineral engineering from your old man."

"Fantastic," Luke grumbled.

Kol found a landing pad and slowly brought the ship down to a rest. A droid rolled up to meet them as they walked off the ramp.

"Twenty credits," it hummed.

Kol retrieved the required amount and inserted it into the droid's receptor slot.

"This is crazy," Luke muttered as he took in his surroundings. The planet was insane! Buildings as far as the eye could see and stretching so far down he couldn't tell where they started. There seemed to be a logical madness to the way traffic zoomed back in forth in seemingly every direction. It brought a whole new meaning to the term 'sensory overload' but so thrilling that he didn't care. Growing up, he'd always wanted to visit New York City but now he felt it would shy in comparison to the monstrous metropolis he found himself in now.

They boarded a passenger speeder that took them east and downward into a slummier part of the city. After that it was a game of mazes as they zig-zagged down side streets. Kol was relieved to find the layout had barely changed during his eighteen year absence. Eventually they came to a nightclub called "Sultra."

"We're meeting your 'guy' in a bar?" Luke mocked as they walked in. "That's a pretty uninspired move."

"I suppose you know that from personal experience?" Kol paused outside the entrance and his voice grew serious. "This is not the place to get distracted. Keep your eyes open and stick close."

Sultra's exterior appeared modest enough at first. A narrow staircase led downward but it opened up at the bottom to reveal the heart of the club - a deep room with high ceilings. On the left was a bar area nestled underneath a catwalk. Spread out to the right were hundreds of people and creatures losing themselves to booze and the music, which Luke could only liken to techno that found brief popularity on earth during his early high school years. He followed Kol past the bar to a door in the far left corner. Through that was a narrow hallway and another flight of stairs up and finally a door guarded by two security officers, one of whom addressed Kol.

"You're in the wrong place, buddy. Party's downstairs."

"I'm in the right place. Tell Beroux it's Kol."

The two guards exchanged glances. One finally stuck his head inside the door and addressed the man in the office.

"There's a guy out here who says he knows you. Says his name's Kol."

They could hear the booming response from behind the door.

"No kidding!"

A few seconds later an alarmingly tall, middle-aged man emerged from the office. His artificially dark hair alluded to the fact that he wished he was a decade younger but if the hair didn't give him away, the protruding belly was another indicator of his true age. He greeted Kol with a hearty handshake.

"Buddy, I was beginning to think somebody finally killed you," he bellowed.

"Not yet," Kol grinned, slapping the man on the shoulder.

"Come on in," Beroux waved. "Let's sit down." For the first time he realized Kol was not alone. "Who's this young man?"

Luke stepped forward and shook his hand. "I'm Luke."

"Well I don't know what you're doing hanging around with the likes of this guy but I'm sure it ain't good!" Beroux laughed as he settled into his large armchair behind the desk. "So where have you been, Kol? Hiding out?"

"You could say that. I've been out of the circuit for a while. Things seem to have changed since I've been gone."

"Well," mused Beroux. "I'm pretty sure the last time I saw you, we still had a republic."

"Is the republic disbanded?"

"Disbanded. Overthrown. Usurped. However you wanna look at it. Old Senator Palpatine made himself emperor. Wow, you've really been out of it, haven't you? Don't know where you could've gone where that news wasn't all over the place."

"There are places. I wouldn't have thought getting rid of the republic system would be so easy."

"Oh you bet it wasn't." Beroux leaned forward. "They killed a bunch of dissenters. Anybody in the old republic who didn't agree with them, they did them off. That jedi temple was a slaughterhouse. And don't get me started listing all the senators who were found dead under mysterious circumstances."

Luke couldn't believe what he was hearing. "That's awful! How did everybody let this happen?"

The resignation was clear in Beroux's voice. "When you get yourself an army and a giant death robot at your bidding, you can do whatever you want."

"Death robot, huh?" Kol joked, trying to lift the mood. He didn't feel like talking politics for their entire visit.

"Laugh all you want," Beroux cautioned. "I'll go to every length to never cross paths with the likes of Darth Vader. He's the emperor's second hand man. If you can call him a man. Who knows what he really is."

"Sounds delightful," said Kol dryly. "So..." he gave his old friend a knowing look. "Is the outpost still here?"

Beroux stared. "Are you still in that mess?"

"Until recently. Things have changed but I need some answers."

"Sure, sure. It is, as far as I know. They're set up to look like a consulting firm but the heavy security gives it away. But make sure..."

They were suddenly interrupted by the sound of a blaster bolt right outside the door. One of the security guards burst into the room; the other one was lying on the ground, dead.

"Get out of here now!" the guard yelled.

"This way!" Beroux led them out a door on the right.

They went through a hall and found themselves on the catwalk over the bar in the main room of the nightclub. As they started running for the stairs at the other end, another intruder made his way up toward them. Meanwhile, the first agent charged behind onto the catwalk.

Luke's heart pounded frantically as he tried in vain to think of a way to escape.

The second man finished leaping up the last few stairs and pointed his blaster at the trio.

"Should've stuck with us," he seethed at Kol.

Several shots rang out. Luke instinctively put his arms up in front of his face. His soul swarmed with every emotion screaming at him to stop the laser bolts. When nothing happened, he dropped his arms. It was deja vu with the car all over again.

Beroux articulately exclaimed his shock with a slew of expletives. Kol gaped at the laser shots frozen in mid-air, then focused in on Luke. Suddenly realizing now was not the time to pause, he began firing his own weapon at the agents who were recovering from their surprise. The one blocking the staircase went down with a bolt to the chest. Luke drew the pistol Kol had given him back on earth and succeeded in hitting the assassin behind them.

Momentarily free of obstacles, they bounded across the catwalk and down the stairs. At this point, the club was a madhouse with patrons running, pushing, and screaming for the exits.

"Go out the front with the crowd," Beroux instructed. "If there are others here, it'll be harder for them to spot you."

"Are you..."

He cut Luke off. "I'll be fine. They're here for you, not me. Go!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

THE SAFE HOUSE

* * *

Kol and Luke merged with the stampeding crowd out into the night air. The lights, noises, and smells mixed with the chaos. It was all Luke could manage to keep up with Kol as they weaved through streets. Kol finally spotted what he was looking for: a parked speeder, just waiting to be taken.

"Hop in, kid!"

"This isn't..."

"I swear if you're about to have a moral obligation against stealing a speeder I'm gonna lose it."

A blaster shot rang out just above Luke's head. He quickly decided thievery wasn't the worst thing ever.

"Under the circumstances you've got a point," he said, diving into the open air speeder.

Kol fired it up and went full acceleration into the sky.

"Whoooaa!" yelled Luke, holding on for dear life.

The speeder lurched, diving in and out of traffic patterns.

"You know, I'm suddenly getting real tired of always being in the passenger seat!" Luke exclaimed.

Kol ducked the speeder, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision. "There's a method to the madness!" the older man yelled back. Out of habit he glanced to where a rear view mirror would be and grumbled"You would think with all the heightened tech, this galaxy would have jumped onto the rear-view mirror idea by now. Are they still following us?"

Luke looked behind them.

"It's hard to tell. Do more of that zig-zag stuff."

Kol grinned. "Just remember this time you asked for it."

"I already regret it."

A few more minutes driving in erratic patterns brought Luke to conclude they'd lost any tails they may have had. Kol now switched directions.

Luke relaxed in his seat. "So... where to now?"

"Main district of the city. We've got a safe house to break into."

As Beroux had described, the building Kol and Luke found themselves observing (from a safe distance) had all the appearance of a legitimate business.

"It doesn't look guarded," Luke said.

"Yeah it wouldn't but that don't mean a thing." Kol said this more to himself than anyone else. His mind was fast at work. He finally seemed to come to a decision. "Up through the disposal system is our best bet."

Luke stared at the imposing building, tension growing. "This seems as good a time as any to ask... why are we doing this?"

Kol looked at Luke seriously. "Because we need answers. Like who wants you dead and why. Until we know that, we're operating in the dark."

Luke nodded. "Know thy enemy."

Kol gave him a look.

"What? It's a book. Art of War."

Kol started walking down the street toward the lower level of the building. "Told you school was good for you."

Luke followed muttering under his breath. "Yeah until you almost killed me and took me to another galaxy but who's keeping up with stuff anyway."

The structures on Coruscant required extensive disposal systems throughout the entire building. Discarded trash spewed down massive pipes, shooting out at several points around the lowest levels. The exit points shot trash directly into incineration outlets. Luke was now gaping at said incineration outlets.

"So I'm going to go ahead and point out there's a small problem with your plan..."

"The plan is sound. We just need a few things."

Those things they soon acquired at a side market selling old equipment typically used by builders: extension wires and magnetic boots and gloves. At the foot of one of the incineration outlets, they armed themselves with their new gear. Kol took the first shot with his extension wire, aiming for the top of the trash exit point.

"Alright I'm gonna do this first. Watch and do exactly what I do."

Kol attached the wire firmly to his belt and clicked the coil switch. He swooped up above the incineration outlet and landed his feet at the pipe opening. Turning back, he waved for Luke to follow. Luke aimed and hit nearly the same spot as Kol. The rest worked seamlessly and he soon stood in the pipe entrance as well, although he now realized this "pipe" was as large as a train tunnel.

Now the magnetic gear came into play. The pipe tunnel soon curved upward, forcing Kol and Luke to rely entirely on the magnetic gloves and boots to keep moving forward. After climbing up what must have been at least six or seven floors, they found a way into the main part of the building.

Kol whispered, "There's a room a few floors up where they keep payment records. That's our best bet."

Up the hall, a door began sliding open. They ducked into another hall and moved quietly, eventually coming to an elevator. Several floors up and a few more halls brought them to the records room. A guard stood outside the entrance.

Kol motioned for Luke to stay hidden. "Wait here."

He then walked calmly around the corner in full view of the guard.

"Access card?" the guard said warily.

"Yeah, yeah, I've got it right here." Kol pretended to reach for a card but instead pulled a shock knife out of his belt. The man didn't even see it coming before he slumped to the ground.

Luke came around the corner. "Did you just kill him?"

"Don't act like you haven't already killed two people this week, kid."

"That was self-defense."

"It was either him or us," Kol said in a matter-of-fact tone, grabbing the access card off the now dead guard and swiping it against a pad. The door swung open.

Luke was still staring at the dead guard.

"You could have just knocked him unconscious or something."

Kol grabbed Luke by the arm and pulled him into the records room with him. "We don't have time for you to have a conscience." The door slid closed behind them.

The records room was surprisingly sparse. Transactions from expired missions were likely destroyed, leaving only records from current transactions in existence. Kol silently hoped his now botched mission was still "active." Seeing as how they were both still alive, he correctly guessed that it was.

"Found it! Ha ha!"

Luke was still sulking with his arms crossed, not saying a word.

Kol scrolled through the data pad until he came to the desired information. He read it... and then read it again.

A curse word escaped his lips.

Even in his angry state, Luke's curiousity took over. "What?"

"This is high up, kid. Way high up."

"What do you mean..."

A shout sounded out in the hall. Someone had discovered the body.

Kol cursed again. "We've got to get out of here."

Luke looked around. "That door is the only way out."

He was right. They were trapped.


End file.
